Shastri wants focus back on players after recent episodes

After the protracted saga preceding his own appointment as the new India coach, Ravi Shastri is eager for the focus to shift to his players and their cricket. Speaking ahead of India's departure for Sri Lanka on Wednesday, Shastri provided a peek into the kind of coach he might be, placing the credit for a team's success squarely on its players, and saying that coaches like him and Anil Kumble will "come and go".

Shastri hails under-rated Arun

Ravi Shastri hailed newly-appointed bowling coach Bharat Arun's "outstanding" track record and cited his familiarity with the team's players as his strength. Arun was appointed by a four-member committee on Tuesday, following Shastri's recommendation.

"Fifteen years [of] his life he has been coaching," Shastri said of Arun. "You look at that track record, it is outstanding. Right from junior level to A teams to Indian junior World Cup teams, he has been a part of them. He knows these boys better than I do because he has been in the system for the last 15 years."

Shastri suggested Arun was under-rated because he hadn't played much international cricket - representing India in two Tests and four ODIs.

"You look at the last World Cup, India took 77 out of 80 wickets," he said. "If Bharat Arun's name was someone else who has played a lot of Test cricket, you would have put him on top of the tree. So, I don't need to elaborate too much on what he is good at, what are his strengths. It is there for everyone to see".

"I have matured immensely in the last two weeks [during the coach-appointment process]," Shastri said. "Mine will be a refresh button that will be pushed. I carry on from where I left. I don't come with any baggage.

"The team has done exceedingly well over three years and they are the people who deserve the credit more than anybody else. These Ravi Shastris, Anil Kumbles will come and go. The fabric of Indian cricket will remain and the credit should go to everyone who has participated in this Indian team over the last three years. If they are No. 1 today [in Tests], it is their efforts they have put in over that three-year period and they deserve the credit. People like us will come and go".

India enjoyed considerable success under both Shastri as team director and Kumble as coach. During Kumble's one-year reign, India won series in West Indies, and at home against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia, losing only one of 17 Test matches along the way. Under Shastri, whose earlier tenure as team director lasted almost two years, India made it to semi-finals of successive global events - the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20, and also won their first limited-overs bilateral series in Australia, whitewashing the hosts 3-0 in T20Is.

In his second coming, Shastri will work with his core team - Sanjay Bangar (assistant coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and R Sridhar (fielding coach) - from his previous stint. Shastri said his job was to make the player focus on his game "without a care in the world for anything outside".

"When you play the game, you want your mind clear," he said. "You want to be able to focus inwards without a care in the world for anything outside. That happens with good communication with the support staff. My job is to do exactly that with every player - to put him in a frame of mind where he is thinking only about his role and he is thinking about the team he is playing for and, of course, the opposition which we always respect. And that's his job, period."

Captain Virat Kohli felt working with a coaching staff the team was familiar with meant everybody knew what to expect from one another. "We have worked together for three years - 2014, 2015 and 2016 - so that amount of understanding is bound to be there," he said. "Since we have worked together in the past, we know what's expected and what's going to be on the plate and what's worked for us in the past.

"I think understanding and communication is something that works in every walk of life. The changing-room environment is nothing different. You need to have all those aspects for any relationship to work in life. It's not just confined to cricket.

"We follow the same rules of life that are followed everywhere else. I don't see anything different that can be elaborated upon this. Everyone has gone through experience of relationships somewhere or the other in their lives. The same rules apply here".

Asked if there was extra pressure to perform since he now had a familiar coaching staff, Kohli replied in the negative and said he shut out external factors. "I don't think there is any added pressure because what has to happen will happen, I believe in that, regardless of what happens around on the outside world," he said. "As a team, we aspire to achieve what we want to achieve. Every one of us has faced hardships in the past. Criticism and being criticised is nothing new, so we understand that aspect of playing sport as well.

"I only have the bat in hand and my job is to go out there on the field and control what's being done on the field. And, that's something that I have focused on in the past couple of months, two months and I continue to do so. [A] lot of speculation and lot of things fly around and those things are not in my control. As I said, my job is to go out there on the field and try to bring the best out of this team along with the management and try to perform to the best of my abilities which I believe in.

"I only started off as a player and I wanted to do the best for the team. And, I continue to take up this responsibility and will continue to do so in the future years, till the team I am the captain or I am kept at this position. That's what I see of it. I mean you only have to look at the series you are going to play ahead of you. If you focus only on these external factors, it's very similar to you going out to bat and thinking what if I get out. It can happen in any scenario, so you just need to take care of your mindset and move forward."

Ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, where India will play three Tests, five ODIs and a T20I, Kohli looked back on the 2015 series as a "landmark" tour in setting the template for India's performances overseas. Particularly heartening to him was the manner in which India came back from 1-0 down to win the Test series 2-1. It was Kohli's second Test series as a full-time captain after India had drawn the only Test in Bangladesh under him in June 2015.

"If you look at the average age of that team a couple of years back - I mean obviously the players have matured from then on and it's been 24 months, but that tour for us was a sort of start of the belief system that we can win away from home and we do have the side required to win away from home," he said. "And, we do have the culture that's been created in the team to win whatever Test matches or Test series that we play.

"So, the mindset immediately was to try and win series and losing the first Test was a shock to us. The way we bounced back was only because of the team culture that was created at that stage where our players were the less experienced if you compared us and Sri Lanka. The comparison of number of Tests was not even close. But, we showed more belief in our abilities and that we could win from any situation and that really turned our mindset around. From then on, you can see the results that we have had so far. We have away series coming up, so the same mindset would apply now what we started back in 2015".

@ram4fr9677979... not sure what was the context of your comments but india started doing well under ganguly... ues we were joint winners at Ct but dont think we won single by ourselves... we came runners up once under him... MS has won CT, WT20, runner up in W T 20 and winner World cup.... winning is imp does not matter what attempt.. he did win the very first one which is always special and no one can ever change that!

krishnakumar
on July 20, 2017, 15:00 GMT

India will loose all overseas tours

ram4fr9677970
on July 20, 2017, 11:37 GMT

True, Ravi Shastri come and go without doing anything. but Kumble worked hard as coach. Shastri don't want to get any credit and its understandable. he do only pep talk and call all players as champion cricketers. but he don't do any coaching job like planning or giving training to players. he is just media manager and party organiser in the team and may be mental conditioning coach.

ram4fr9677970
on July 20, 2017, 11:30 GMT

varun: Is India not played well in ICC Events before MSD?. India reached final in 2003 world cup?. India won 2 champions trophy or joint winners under Ganguly!. What MSD team achieved in ICC events?. won 1 t20 world cup out of 7 attempts?.

Sugath
on July 20, 2017, 11:28 GMT

While the morale of Sri Lanka players got a boost despite some telling moments, it gave them confidence that you can rise from ashes with will power. On the contrary the Indian players may not be having the greatest mindset. Against Zimbabwe Sri Lanka took it easy and paid the price in ODI and nearly did it in tests. Hope the management has told the players never to take any team as bagatle but to take things as they are without pre conceived thinking.

mnvelm1434072
on July 20, 2017, 11:07 GMT

I am sorry to Indian Cricket. Shashtri and Kholi are best politician they played well off the pitch
Mr. Gem of Cricket (DRAVID) don't think about the BCCI conflict of interest do continue coaching IPL. Make money and be Happy. I could not understand Mr. Lotha the COI will applicable only to coach why not the captain of Indian team who occupying captain of Indian team and RCB How it is possible

Orang
on July 20, 2017, 10:46 GMT

I am sure the top priority of coach and captain is to hire thr right spin doctors to explain away the plummeting fortunes of Team India , a downward plunge which will begin next week in Galle and continue till early 2019 in NZ...... perhaps they will pooh-pooh Test cricket as outdated. What is sure is that S &K will weather the storm and stay focused on getting richer.

Samy
on July 20, 2017, 10:06 GMT

@Varun whatever it is, Core coach team isn't favorable choice or option. It's like picking best team with average captain and worst coaching resources. Everything in the end will be nullified. Australia won 5 world cup titles out of last 8 world cup tournament. One shouldn't be relaxed by just reaching to Semifinal. Expectations are huge from 1.4 billion indian populations. So far, BCCI, and Virat Kohli and team is let down only.

upuler1604594
on July 20, 2017, 10:05 GMT

Kohli had a say in choosing a coach. Let SL captains hv a say in this. Mathews was not given this option.

cricfan06673893
on July 20, 2017, 9:53 GMT

Team India will return from Sri Lanka loosing the Test Series, One Day Series and the T20 Series..

S.
on July 21, 2017, 3:30 GMT

@ram4fr9677979... not sure what was the context of your comments but india started doing well under ganguly... ues we were joint winners at Ct but dont think we won single by ourselves... we came runners up once under him... MS has won CT, WT20, runner up in W T 20 and winner World cup.... winning is imp does not matter what attempt.. he did win the very first one which is always special and no one can ever change that!

krishnakumar
on July 20, 2017, 15:00 GMT

India will loose all overseas tours

ram4fr9677970
on July 20, 2017, 11:37 GMT

True, Ravi Shastri come and go without doing anything. but Kumble worked hard as coach. Shastri don't want to get any credit and its understandable. he do only pep talk and call all players as champion cricketers. but he don't do any coaching job like planning or giving training to players. he is just media manager and party organiser in the team and may be mental conditioning coach.

ram4fr9677970
on July 20, 2017, 11:30 GMT

varun: Is India not played well in ICC Events before MSD?. India reached final in 2003 world cup?. India won 2 champions trophy or joint winners under Ganguly!. What MSD team achieved in ICC events?. won 1 t20 world cup out of 7 attempts?.

Sugath
on July 20, 2017, 11:28 GMT

While the morale of Sri Lanka players got a boost despite some telling moments, it gave them confidence that you can rise from ashes with will power. On the contrary the Indian players may not be having the greatest mindset. Against Zimbabwe Sri Lanka took it easy and paid the price in ODI and nearly did it in tests. Hope the management has told the players never to take any team as bagatle but to take things as they are without pre conceived thinking.

mnvelm1434072
on July 20, 2017, 11:07 GMT

I am sorry to Indian Cricket. Shashtri and Kholi are best politician they played well off the pitch
Mr. Gem of Cricket (DRAVID) don't think about the BCCI conflict of interest do continue coaching IPL. Make money and be Happy. I could not understand Mr. Lotha the COI will applicable only to coach why not the captain of Indian team who occupying captain of Indian team and RCB How it is possible

Orang
on July 20, 2017, 10:46 GMT

I am sure the top priority of coach and captain is to hire thr right spin doctors to explain away the plummeting fortunes of Team India , a downward plunge which will begin next week in Galle and continue till early 2019 in NZ...... perhaps they will pooh-pooh Test cricket as outdated. What is sure is that S &K will weather the storm and stay focused on getting richer.

Samy
on July 20, 2017, 10:06 GMT

@Varun whatever it is, Core coach team isn't favorable choice or option. It's like picking best team with average captain and worst coaching resources. Everything in the end will be nullified. Australia won 5 world cup titles out of last 8 world cup tournament. One shouldn't be relaxed by just reaching to Semifinal. Expectations are huge from 1.4 billion indian populations. So far, BCCI, and Virat Kohli and team is let down only.

upuler1604594
on July 20, 2017, 10:05 GMT

Kohli had a say in choosing a coach. Let SL captains hv a say in this. Mathews was not given this option.

cricfan06673893
on July 20, 2017, 9:53 GMT

Team India will return from Sri Lanka loosing the Test Series, One Day Series and the T20 Series..

varun
on July 20, 2017, 9:40 GMT

Kohli was appointed as captain in all three formats at the right time.He has a golden chance to nurture the team for 2019 ODI world cup.He has inherited MSD's legacy tooth and nail.India has been performing well in ICC events right from MSD's captaincy and it has carried through to Kohli.There are not too many changes in the Tests or ODIs or T20s squads which were picked when MSD was at the helm and now under Kohli the players are walking into the squads without much fuss,with their performances at domestic level as well as International level speaking for themselves.Except for Kuldeep Yadav(much needed wrist spinner) and KLRahul,not many new faces were picked under Kohli.We can observe that Kohli is channelizing the confidence MSD installed in the team,while the latter was captain.Unlike Soccer,a coach's job in cricket remains backdoor and confidential.Anil did a good job for 1 year and now Shastri is welcomed.Its the performances on the field that remain with fans as fond memories.

persev1507162
on July 20, 2017, 9:39 GMT

RAHUL, i can understand defending Yuvi and Dhoni, but saying their performance is better than Kedar and Jadeja is taking it too far, i would say. Kedar averages 56 at S/R of 123 in ODIs, and has taken most of the chances that have come his way so far. As a lower order batsman, his role is to play some risk-taking shots and entertaining cameos, which he has been doing quite well so far.

As for Jadeja, he is number one test bowler in the world, and an excellent fielder. He may be a bit of burden in LOI formats, but his value in the test team is unquestionable, since he can produce nagging spells, and can bowl long spells without tiring.

Yuvi and Dhoni have a lot of inputs to provide the junior players, but my point is that it need not necessarily be in a playing role. Advice can also come from someone in a purely advisory capacity. Experience will only come by playing, and so the execution should be left to young players. Elders can advise, that would be enough.

Saurabh
on July 20, 2017, 9:25 GMT

True Ravi Shastri's will come and go, but Kumbles are rare.

KISH
on July 20, 2017, 8:49 GMT

I hope India win all the test matches in Srilanka this time around. Because, the Srilnakans were just lucky to win the test against Zimbabwe. So, it looks like India are playing a very weak side.

jishnurb
on July 20, 2017, 8:17 GMT

There is no doubt on either Ravi's or Kohli's skills as cricketers. But the problem here is the capability enhancement of other cricketers. India evolved as an excellent bowling unit under Anil Kumble especially the pace unit. A great example is Umesh Yadav. His lines have improved a lot with out compromising his pace. Bowling plans were excellent (Dharmasala test against Aussies was an example). You make your team around bowlers. I dont care T20 and ODIs. Test matches over seas could be won only by bowlers, especially good pacers. I think Ravi will be more answerable to Kohli under present circumstances. Another point is captaincy of Kohli, I think he is a head master there. I think in indian scenario we need a more Dhoni like captain, Even he lost his cool towards the end. Better to have Ajinkya in tests as he is permanent in the side. For short formats Rohit Sharma is ok as he remains unfluttered in tense situations (Here u could take IPLs)

hemant5961337
on July 20, 2017, 8:00 GMT

I see many talking about pujara . i dony think we need to focus about him as most f the tests under kumble were played in india . thats the only reason pujara is blossomed .Even pujara faced problems outside india . and scoring @20 s/r is not good on foreign soil.because as a visitor u need to score runs to win not by defence approach . there is one more strategy where odi players get used to Australian conditions by playing in tests since the current cricket is serious about odi than tests keeping in mind of worldcup .there is nothinh wrong in giving opportunities to odi squad in tests .

Rahul
on July 20, 2017, 7:57 GMT

@Karthik - The board should think of you being the coach since you have a great cricketing brain and solid inputs by making an IPL team players and sacking seniors like Yuvi and Dhoni. Rubbing shoulders with experienced pros is what the juniors always want. Yes, Yuvi and Dhoni will definitely retire sometime but their experience and inputs are very valuable to the team. Both have not done so bad as compared to Kedar, Jadeja or others. You guys seem to have a one way thinking that IPL wonderkids can do anything. There is huge difference in pasting domestic players on placid IPL pitches and International players. I hope you understand that. There is talent no doubt in our young breed but has to be a gradual process.

hemant5961337
on July 20, 2017, 7:52 GMT

someone said kumble was kicked out , i thought he resigned himself (it could be any reason) . its just like the history says two kings can never share the same place . a coach is a minister but not the king , captain is always the king .A coach may force king but in the end its the king's call . genuine reason : no one asks coach for the game loss its the captain who has to answer, so my question is why Captain needs to answer for coach's decision? hope you all understood now why kohli needs to answer if kumble is the king & why post match presentation will be on captains but not coach the game itself belongs to Captain.

divynl6307086
on July 20, 2017, 7:49 GMT

Focus was definitely on one player and his tantrums through the episode. Not even winning abroad enough would justify the kind of treatment meted out to Kumble by a certain clique (Not all for sure, read interviews related to Pujara, Saha and selection of Kuldeep, that Kumble had backing of enough players and had helped develop a real good atmosphere in the dressing room). As someone said below these Kohlis and Dhonis shall also go one day, so if the fabric is strong enough and all this ain't gung-ho talk, what the fans expect in the very least, given the fact that this side has developed and gelled well-together for 3 years in succession, no longer an improving side, needs to deliver results overseas. It really should have in 2013-14 set of tours, where enough promise was shown, only to be betrayed by some very average captaincy, some new players and excess baggage. If this team has developed on its own, then surely it will make its own fortune. Let's see how they do when it matters.

itzven5195391
on July 20, 2017, 7:31 GMT

I hope India gets whitewashed in every overseas series and Kohli and Shastri gets sacked for the betterment of Indian cricket

Xiong
on July 20, 2017, 7:30 GMT

I'm interested to see if Shastri claims no credit for Indian success. No doubt he will claim no responsibility for failure.

MS
on July 20, 2017, 6:51 GMT

Just like the coach was removed, we need to remove certain players from test, ODI & 20-20 cricket and keep separate teams for all three formats and bring in some talented young players and test them for a longer duration if at all you need to have any chance of winning the world cup 2019. Keep the bench strength to around 25 players and move on. It's the right time now to test or you will fall behind.

Baundule
on July 20, 2017, 5:35 GMT

Now let us forget Shastri and focus on the players for every failure. However, Shastri will take the limelight again, if India wins.

Baskar
on July 20, 2017, 5:09 GMT

All this talk is irrelevant, proof is if you can beat very good teams in their homes. We will soon find out.

sushan4486189
on July 20, 2017, 4:40 GMT

Virat here wants to be the supreme boss....a loss here n there wud mean nothing that's the thing he is harboring in his mind..to get such a leverage one needs to win something of some importance but that opportunity was wasted last month 18th June...remember?had he won that ,we would not have been debating here....it seems more of post triumph(which is really not) chest thumping...

karthik
on July 20, 2017, 4:33 GMT

No issues with Kohli-Shastri combo as long as they:
1.Dump Dhoni ,Yuvraj,Rahane,D Karthik,Ashwin & Jadeja from ODI side
2.Sack all mediocre players :Ishant,Rahane,Saha,Mukund from tests.
3.ODIs: Select SS Iyer, Pant,Samson,Manish Pandey,Krunal Pandya,Chahal for ODIs on a regular basis.
4.Tests : Include Nair,SS Iyer, Pant,Shardul and back them for 10-15 tests before reviewing their spots and not ill-treat them like they did to poor Nair.
5.Shed this lobby culture, this team looks too much like Mumbai-RCB club teams.
Kohli should stop trying to be a Dhoni-clone. From selections,even his PCs lately looking more avuncular and preachy just like Dhoni. He's just 28 for Gods sake and his copycat style mimicking MSD is awful. His strength is being aggressive,positive and adventurous like he was in Australia 2014. Be it selections (Karn Sharma for Ashwin in one of the tests was bold) or field placements. Lately due to too much association I think he's become more like Dhoni.

Indikapuncha
on July 20, 2017, 4:30 GMT

Loads and loads of talks, lets see what happens in the series

trt9879797310
on July 20, 2017, 3:53 GMT

Even Dhonis and Kohlis will come and go. I hope the Indian team gets thrashed for the next 2 years in the same manner as RCB and then everyone will come to their senses.

Devinderpal Singh
on July 20, 2017, 3:50 GMT

The captain, who probably perceives himself as an alpha male, has his ideal coach, which is the beta male that will never oppose, will always be submissive, and always agree. I guess Kumble has opinions that he will not compromise on; not so with the current coach. The coach, who thinks he's a alpha male because he shouts his opinions with arrogance and in English, selects coaches who are probably decent at what they do (though Bangar was awful at the Kings XI), but believes he can dominant in that context. What a shame it is that he is all mouth, and no substance. Judge this side, like all sides, by what they do, away from home, in conditions that differ from one's home conditions.

Jose
on July 20, 2017, 3:46 GMT

SYNERGY:

That is what you get when the total is MORE than the sum of the parts.

So, setting aside my personal views on the individual parts of this "Head Coach & all the Support Staff" (HCSS), I feel we are on to something good, as our cricket will start rolling again on the track. Hopefully.

Kicking out someone like Kumble was a sad chapter, but it is foolish to cry over the spilled milk. So, wipe off that spill and stain, Let us move on.

This HCSS has worked together for so long, without any known frictional heat & fire; hopefully we may get precisely that synergy for next two years' haul, up to the WC 2019. Wishing our team failure, I feel. is like cutting our own nose, to spite our recent plight; which is all done & dusted.

So, at least, I , am setting aside any discomfort, and truly wish all the success to our captain, Team India, and HCSS. As Ashok (Nampally) often concludes, let me also end saying, "India Go India!".

sudhik6976471
on July 20, 2017, 3:38 GMT

,@Ravish: Yes friend, you are right. Kohli has also played a great innings against Pakistan in CT finals!

hranan1091919
on July 20, 2017, 3:32 GMT

I wish Kohli+shastri combination will do a good job in srilanka. Mr.Kohli please call Mithali Raj - Indian women team captain - wish her and the entire team for their semi final success against Australia. We as cricket fans wish both the indian team all the best....Hope Mithali raj and team carry the Women's world cup....

manoj
on July 20, 2017, 2:51 GMT

@ BIBHU_4357712 : I am afraid you are right. Pujara has to score a century every other match while a classy 20 or 30 will suffice for Rohit. Indian team is probably going to end up like the RCB, a star studded team with nothing to show as results and the support staff doubling up as cheerleaders...

Giridharan
on July 20, 2017, 2:36 GMT

This is pep talk at it's best. Yet familiarity often breeds laziness. Felt that since 2011 wc India needed better tactics and strategies. Have seen it in patches but mostly it is templatized. So need fresh blood and ideas. The real test begins now. The world win spin for a while yet...

sachim0133762
on July 20, 2017, 2:29 GMT

hope kohli and shastri push dhoni and yuvraj out of the team, and give chances to youngsters

hari
on July 20, 2017, 1:49 GMT

What's all the fuss about Kumble as coach.....as if a coach matters to winning matches.....let's see how we do overseas before these never ending debates

ganesh6549030
on July 20, 2017, 0:09 GMT

Chemistry, skill sets and team needs are three fundamentals in selecting the coach. Kumble clearly lacked the chemistry equation but was good in imparting skills as needed. Shastri wins in the chemistry aspect but can he fill out the other parts of the job? It looks like he is delegating the skills aspect to his functional coaches (batting, bowling and fielding). The analysis (our strengths / weakness vs opponents strength and weakness) and strategy for each game/player is likely to be undercooked under Shastri and Kohli. Kumble did that part very well. Kohli is more gut instinct unlike Dhoni and Shastri has no appetite for detailed analysis and planning. Shastri is a back slapper who encourages but gives little insight. Maybe they can delegate this part to Dhoni....

tush389343182
on July 20, 2017, 0:07 GMT

All of this will be funny when India loses abroad and world cup, waiting for that day. Thanks to kohli and company as well as Shastri, I've started to hate cricket.

kartik6870743
on July 19, 2017, 23:47 GMT

Hey S: also look at Kholi average when Pujara is in team (when Pujara gets out before 25) you will be surprised. Also what did Pujara do when Kholi scored 4 hundreds in a test series in Aus?

bibhu_4357712
on July 19, 2017, 23:33 GMT

With 2 CoA members out, I'd be surprised if anyone else speaks out strongly about the conflict of interest clause. We could well have a scenario wherein Shastri coaches the RCB, RCB and Mumbai( Ranji side) becomes the next feeder line for india selection..so goodbye Pujara, Nair, Vijay and Pandey.. Pujara is just one Test away from being dropped. As before, he will be asked to retire at a 40+ score in the warm up match. Rohit will be allowed to bat till 70-80 or till he gets out, to justify his now permanent inclusion in playing XI.. won't be surprised if Shreyas Iyer replaces Pujara for good for a better strike rate..prithwi Shaw will be on the tour to England as back up opener..

Ravish
on July 19, 2017, 22:03 GMT

@SRI let me tell you that Kohli has also scored against world class bowlers like Starc, Johnson, Cummins, Rabada, Steyn, Amir, Malinga, etc and I think he has only failed in test cricket in England in the last England's tour of India. India is very lucky to have Kohli, Dhawan, Rohit, Dhoni, Pujara and some others and we never miss Sachin, Dravid, Sehwag, VVS and Ganguly cause these newer guys are also as good as the earlier ones. No other team in the world cricket is blessed with such talent.

Also, I think you guys should check the facts and be more practical in your comments instead of being sentimental. Ciao.

Siddharth
on July 19, 2017, 21:54 GMT

I'm sure Shastri and Kohli will be a gd combination but the way the whole Kumble episode was handled left a bad taste. Oh well if Kumble's ok then I guess its time to move on and go back to enjoying this exciting team

Ravish
on July 19, 2017, 21:52 GMT

PWAVES7635482 Shastri or any other coach can't work with any other team, be it IPL or any other state level team due to the conflict of interest clause. Dravid left Delhi Daredevils and is the only coach of under 19 and India A team so no one else can be allowed as well.

Ravish
on July 19, 2017, 21:46 GMT

UBHATTAC@GMAIL.COM For your information all the interviewee who were interviewed were interview via skype for the recently concluded interviews and only Shewag was present physically also for the earlier interviews only Kumble was present physically for don't give that reason. Also, Ganguly didn't even interview via skype. He is a member of CAC and he and all would have known before 1 or 2 weeks when the interview would be so it's the responsibility of everyone to be present physically or via skype. If Ganguly would have been present that time then all these things would not have happened. Please check facts before commenting. Am not a Ganguly or Kumble or any particular cricketer's fan, what am saying is a fact from what we have information.

Yes, am serious.

san
on July 19, 2017, 21:45 GMT

Ofcorse the players would love to have someone who can carry beers and dance to their tunes.... and obviously hate someone who would push them to run that extra mile in the read hot sun to add that 1 K speed or endurance...

san
on July 19, 2017, 21:41 GMT

This is way better for Dravid than the way Kumble was treated.

What is the guarantee that the King or his cheer leader or the chamchas do not treat Dravid the same way?

Imagine Dravid trying to correct a technical flaw in Kohli's off-side play (the way he gets out anywhere it is not a road)

or asking batsmen to practice an extra hour or so.... and they retort with a smile - Bhai jane do - did you forget what happened to Kumble?

Dravid is best suited to work with upcoming talent, who have some respect for the yesteryear legends, want to learn, and want a task master to work with them every drop of sweat....

san
on July 19, 2017, 21:40 GMT

So back to rank turners at home, flush the 5-bowler theory, Final X1 - just a walk in after an injury, raina back to test

team, possibly yuvi as well, Pujara to retire or move to Countys for good, Rohit to play all formats, ALL THE HARDWORK

down the drain...

nihari4763165
on July 19, 2017, 20:35 GMT

Also, I just saw someone saying it takes guts to leave the commentary chair and get into the furnace. It might be true in some cases, but not when you're getting paid nearly $3 million for two years of work. Not a bad incentive, eh? I imagine it's a lot more than a standard player contract for the national team ;)

nihari4763165
on July 19, 2017, 20:31 GMT

I don't know about tacky champions of champions, but I'm pretty sure Kumbles of the world don't just come and go. They take hundreds of wickets, lead their teams with aplomb through on field troubles and off field monkeygates. They keep their heads high and their dignity intact. It's one thing being positive and another being a fool. I wish this team the best since they represent India, but I couldn't care less if they kept losing as long as this charade is unfolding. I've lost a lot of respect for the captain for whatever his role was - either gross inaction or worse, implicit involvement. Let's brace ourselves for loud chest thumping when we win and same old excuses when we don't. All I wanted to see was some humility from the man-manager-in-chief, but I guess it's too much to ask.

pwaves7635482
on July 19, 2017, 20:23 GMT

so what's next for Shastri - could he simultaenously also work as the head coach of the MI team...?! I am sure given the disorderly state of cricket, that is not far from reality...and there still would be fans who would cherish such things by rationalising in some way. In all fairness VK and co. have done quite well over the past few years and have given some memorable performances, its a shame that such unwanted and less pertinent developments are putting off a few fans, at least momentarily...

S
on July 19, 2017, 20:19 GMT

@MIHIR - I don't think you need to worry about Pujara. If Pujara is gone, Kohli will be exposed again. Kohli does well because Pujara negotiates the tougher conditions for Kohli. It will be interesting to compare Kohli's stats with Pujara in and out of team.

ubhattac@gmail.com
on July 19, 2017, 20:18 GMT

@Ravish: Your information seems to take a wrong turn. SG was supposed to run a pre-scheduled CAB meeting (he being the President) at a given time slot, and he clearly mentioned that before hand, that he will be out during that particular slot. The whole coach selection process got delayed that day, and Shastri's interview fell exactly on that slot, when SG was out. Three things here a) What kind of a person, will whine about it in front of the media, as Shastri did, if he didn't we should not have known about it, as we shouldn't have. b) There were two more members, SRT and VVS, who took Shastri's interview, how it is SG's ego? b) Have you ever thought about the fact that Shastri was vacationing at Thailand at that time and was appearing in the interview via Skype? Was he serious? Please try that in one of your own job interview, let alone for the Head coaching job for Indian Cricket, as they say, the 2nd most difficult trust after being the Indian PM? Are you serious?

Jay
on July 19, 2017, 19:55 GMT

@Sreekanth: You think I didn't know that my friend. Any how, I believe Shashtri has a nice attitude that he brings to the job. He may fail at it or he may succeed. But nah ! too many Indians here can already see the future and that too naively... predicting India to lose all their games. How these people call themselves "Indian" cricket fans is beyond human intelligence.

sanjee3993781
on July 19, 2017, 19:43 GMT

Alex SL has not won a single test in India and AUS btw even if we loose in SA it's fine SL were whitewashed in SA and AUS and Pak were white washed in AUS and SA

sanjee3993781
on July 19, 2017, 19:38 GMT

Sri I guess u r a newbie Kohli has 5 centuries in AUS and has centuries in NZ and SA as well it seems u haven't checked the stats

Jay
on July 19, 2017, 19:26 GMT

@SRI: Woah ! Man, you need to relax. Here, have a Kool Aid.

Sreekanth
on July 19, 2017, 19:26 GMT

@JAY - Considering shastri as a 'native born coach and expert' is too much of a stretch for my imagination. Can I stop at 'native born'?

Jay
on July 19, 2017, 19:15 GMT

@Ravish: I agree buddy. Most Indians are sentimental. They think with their hearts instead of brains. Too much useless emotional outpouring here. Shashtri and Kohli combination is not a bad one and these armchair critics will see it first hand. I expect India to win a lot more games of cricket now. I think we all need to come back in 2 years time to this very forum and discuss how successful Kohli and Shashtri have been in shaping India's fortunes. Till then, let's all take a chill pill shall we ?! :D

Ashiqur Rahman
on July 19, 2017, 19:10 GMT

So Bharat Arun is better than Zahir Khan? Everything is possible in India.

Kohli is the worlds best player on placid tracks and mediocre bowling attacks. He has been found wanting on seaming,pacy and bouncy tracks. Analyze and you will know. No where near the legendary dravid and tendulkar or even vvs laxman..overseas tests against sa,aus,eng will be clear disasters with frailties exposed, shastri or no shastri..last time around in aus the pitches were drop down pitches with no pace and even bounce where kohli flourished. Give him a pacy Perth or a seaming and swinging headingley..game over..period

Choton
on July 19, 2017, 18:50 GMT

As Virat Kohli has now got the coach of his choice, and Ravi Shastri the job and the team he wanted, as fans of Indian cricket, I think we should at least give them a chance to show what they are worth. Any praise or criticism can surely follow based on what they achieve on the playing field hereafter.

Ravish
on July 19, 2017, 18:45 GMT

We Indians are really very emotional people and speak and comment emotionally. People should first think what they are commenting or speaking. Zaheer and Dravid can't give much time and days to Indian Team so you can't keep them for 25-30 days only. Dravid is coach of Under 19 and India A teams and he will be busy with them most of the time and Zaheer is still playing in IPL and mentoring the IPL team so it becomes a conflict of interest there. Blaming Shastri and Kohli for what has happened is senseless but no one is questioning Ganguly. He was the person who was absent when Shastri was interviewed the first time and Shastri should have got the job earlier but due to Ganguly's ego, it went to Kumble and Kumble might have been a great cricketer but being too strict to professional cricketers is not good.

Jay
on July 19, 2017, 18:44 GMT

@Alex: India could probably lose a 5 match series in SA on green pitches. After all, that's what India haters want to see. What they conveniently forget is that SA won't become a better team by beating India on green pitches. Because India will always prepare rank turners at home to return the favor back to the Saffers. SA will lose badly yet again on spinning pitches. It will be a never ending tale. So that's what you naysayers want eh ? You know what I, as one of the sensible cricket fans wish to see - balance between bat and ball in a game of cricket. Something which neither a green pitch OR spinning pitch would offer.

sudhik6976471
on July 19, 2017, 18:07 GMT

From now onwards it will not be Team India, it will be Team Kohli or Team Shastri. No need to support them.

sachin
on July 19, 2017, 18:03 GMT

I feel we should put this incident behind us and focus on cricket. Now that captain and coach are on the same page...hope they take Indian cricket back to its glory days. Not long ago people were singing praises for Kohli's aggressive captaincy and wanted him to replace Dhoni as captain in all formats. Shastri took over when the team was in disarray and brought success. It was the Fletcher period which was dark days for our team.

sudhik6976471
on July 19, 2017, 18:01 GMT

@EHTE77: Friend everything is fine with Indians and our society. Most of the cricket fans are furious about the way Kohli has humiliated Kumble and brought in his favourite Shastri in. It was a well scripted drama. We adore our cricketers whenever they perform well and we have all the rights to blame them whenever they behave like this. We can't tolerate this dirty politics. Eagerly waiting for the day when Kohli is removed from the captaincy and Shastri is thrown out of his post.

Jay
on July 19, 2017, 18:00 GMT

You guys even have the nerve to talk about accomplished cricketers like Mr. Shashtri, and Sanjay Bangar. What have you all achieved in your lives other than being armchair critics ? It's okay to have opinions but then again, opinions are like peanuts. Anyone can munch on them. I personally think Shashtri and Kohli will have a tremendous tenure and as a result, Team India will benefit immensely. The overseas tours will all be tough assignments. But then again, I am sure SA, NZ, ENG, and AUS all felt the same way before touring India and then subsequently losing those series. I think Indian fans need to chill and learn to support their native born coaches, and experts. Give Shashtri a chance. That's the least we can do.

Dexters
on July 19, 2017, 17:53 GMT

Pujara, Rahane and Pant should all start looking at Kolpak like deals. Dhawans and Rohits will be playing until they are 40. No doubt India Will perform well enough but will never mature to be world beaters like the old Aussies.

Niren
on July 19, 2017, 17:53 GMT

India will loose 4 nil to SA later this year. This will result in Kohli stepping down as captain, and Shastri being sacked.

sudhik6976471
on July 19, 2017, 17:51 GMT

Shastri has nothing to lose. He will make good money, make fun with Kohli and his boys. After few series he will be replaced. Still no worry, he will come back as a commentator!

Harry
on July 19, 2017, 17:34 GMT

Kumble is too good for this IND team. Shastri did nothing for IND other than one champion series in Aus where he must have scored at SR 50. Kohli is unfit for captaincy but excellent top order batsman. Rohit should be made captain since it will improve his batting.

Mihir
on July 19, 2017, 17:26 GMT

I worry about a few players. Pujara

Shreekanth
on July 19, 2017, 17:20 GMT

Reading through the comments, it feels as if we are approaching an impending doomsday. Cheer up fellas, let's watch the game first.

Manan
on July 19, 2017, 17:04 GMT

Wait untill SL series finished. You got curse from all indian fan. Team will loose against srilanka. No one live happily after ruining some one(kumble) career

sam
on July 19, 2017, 16:56 GMT

We have a 4 test series vs SA at the end of the year. SA surely will provide us spicy pitches and they are slowly getting their iffy batting lineup in some sort of order and they have a marvelous fast bowling lineup. On top of that SA surely are going to provide India spicy pitches having experienced some rank turners in India last time. That will be the series to judge Virat Kohli the captain (who IMO makes too many captaincy mistakes especially bowling changes). He has a free ride till then even though SL can surprise India but that won't affect his captaincy.

mac
on July 19, 2017, 16:34 GMT

Brace up for more such explanations folks - always looking at the positive side like when we lose bad 2-0 instead of 3-0 or 4-0 instead of 5-0 in SA & England. And there is a good possibility of one or 2 of our batters scoring 50 or 100 - which is a another positive. We will also discover that average age of team is 27 and by the time they are 30 it will be a "GUN" unit. With Indian bowling not going to improve in next 2 years ( i hope it does not regress) BCCI shud follow and book Jason Gillespie atleast after SA & Eng tours - when we lose bad.

cool
on July 19, 2017, 16:25 GMT

Players should focus on Cricket not on coach. Failures by failures for captain Kohli , when was last time he won convincingly the series for india? Bcci in such a mess!!

Shreekanth
on July 19, 2017, 16:02 GMT

It will be funny if India actually manage to do well overseas or win the next world cup. Definitely, there would be no stopping Mr. Shastri, but what about all the naysayers criticizing now? Would be one hell of a situation.

Ehte77 Shastri speaking too much without doing nothing. he and virat bringing only their friends(Mumbai/delhi/rcb) into team. that's why all people against them. I accept bharat arun doing coaching last 15 years. what credential Shastri having as coach?. why he got selected when lot of deserved candidates there. he not even coached ranji team or IPL team because he don't have any ambition to be a coach.

Ashishcricinfo
on July 19, 2017, 15:18 GMT

Its bad time for team India.Only team India not suffer, all Indians fans are suffer. It means bcci lose their Guardian for taking decision. Watch it what happen next.

Sarangarajan
on July 19, 2017, 15:17 GMT

His body language ,arrogance in expression ,the contempt with which he mentioned Anil KUMBLE and orchestrating Bharat Aruns credentials - well! well! what a way to start his Chief Coach tenure. Look at the sheepish Virat Kohli reminding us about his job on the field. Best wishes to this team.You have got all you wanted ....

Ehte77
on July 19, 2017, 14:56 GMT

I don't understand why people are mad at Ravi Shastri and Kohli. Granted, Anil Kumble is a legend, but being a legendary player and good coach are completely different things. People are ready to put all blame on Kohli. There are other players in the team also. Did you even consider that majority of players may not have been happy, and Kohli had to take steps then? I was reading comments, and it was hilarious. People have claimed Ganguly, Tendulkar, and ZAK are treated unfairly? That's going too far; not picking them is not mistreating them. I feel it was only unfair for Dravid, because he has the results, unlike the others who we speculate may be good coaches. They may very well turn out to be. My point is, the problem with us Indians is that whenever our adored/loved people (legendary players in this case) questioned, we are ready to shut out all possibilities, logical thinking, and put COMPLETE blame on the other party. This is a problem in our society, not just related to cricket.

anurag9738683
on July 19, 2017, 14:51 GMT

now perform. you got what you wanted.

Ameer Hamza
on July 19, 2017, 14:48 GMT

Black day for india cricket , rahul and Zaheer were best

Don
on July 19, 2017, 14:47 GMT

Arrogant guy. You will make Indian cricket suffer. Enough said.

BURHAN
on July 19, 2017, 14:45 GMT

so virat kohli thinks beating sri lanka in sri lanka was an overseas win. beat eng, sa, aus or even new zealand in their own backyard will be considered as overseas victory. i wish you fail there. respect for kumble, zak & dravid.

Navin Rajpal
on July 19, 2017, 14:36 GMT

Move on guys. Not sure what Shastri has done to land up with these brickbats. He is an eternal optimist which is what we want. Kumble could have been a great coach. Unfortunately it didn't work out. Any team would be proud to own India like records for the last 3 years. Just support the team. He is right. Shastris/Kumbles/Kirstens will come & go. Ultimately it is all about Kohli & co. Best of luck! SL will be a challenge. The likes of Mendis/Mathews/Chandimals will raise their games against us.

S
on July 19, 2017, 14:32 GMT

I don't know if it's the way the media is portraying Ravi Shastri or if he has just stooped too low to get the job. It feels like he's willing to do anything to please Virat Kohli so he can be the coach of the Indian team. While I understand that the captain should have the full control of his team, I still feel that there should be someone who calls him out when he makes mistakes and brings a balance to captains power. Kohli may have a good record as a captain, but except for his batting against England, there was nothing inspirational about his captaincy. With the current proceedings, I don't have much hopes for Indian cricket but as an Indian cricket fan, I hope I'm proved wrong.

I used to respect Ravi Shastri, but he needs to show more self respect.

Rajiv
on July 19, 2017, 14:30 GMT

He is the system for 15 years, yet he couldn't make an impact. Our bowlers are one of the worst in the world. Even after 15 years of coaching we couldn't produce a strike bowler like McGrath or Steyn or Wasim Akram. What's the use.

lodale9317828
on July 19, 2017, 14:24 GMT

Mumbai Ranji players are going to get a lot of chances, RCB as well :)

Cricinfouser
on July 19, 2017, 14:14 GMT

Speechless at the inanity of it all... God help Indian cricket from now on.

wimals9183211
on July 19, 2017, 14:11 GMT

Can someone tell me which UK channel will show the Srilanka India cricket series?

sudhik6976471
on July 19, 2017, 14:02 GMT

@Venkat: You are right. Shastri has become the coach on Kohli's strength and Kohli has remained captain despite of being so arrogant on the strength of IPL lobby and advertisement industry. We are the fools.

bzehri5350113
on July 19, 2017, 14:01 GMT

Shastris come and go but there won't be another Anil Kumble. He was badly mistreated.

sahir
on July 19, 2017, 14:01 GMT

Country like SL should hire kumble coaching to get them back on track. He would make their bowling unit stronger

yes Mr. Shastri, you have hand picked your support staff, you have successfully sidelined Ganguly, Dravid and other strong people, BCCI has come under your control. Now you have to concentrate on players. We know you will some how remove those players who are not close to Kohli or who were close to Kumble and Ganguly. Great going.

Hari Phaneendra
on July 19, 2017, 13:46 GMT

They have to be kidding? Why so much explanation? Kohli and shastri got whatever they wanted, irrespective of how legends like the CAC, kumble, dravid and zaheer were made a fool out of. Oh yeah we fans were also made a fool out of.

shahma1824298
on July 19, 2017, 13:46 GMT

Good self analysis, Mr. Shastri. We all concur with you know that you are useless and dont have anything positive to contribute to team India.

greatm9592319
on July 19, 2017, 13:44 GMT

A great team with useless captain and coach just like RCB.

siddap5233639
on July 19, 2017, 13:43 GMT

Ravi Shastris and Virat Kohlis will come and go. But there is One and the Only Anil Kumble, none to Him....Kudos Anil Kumble the Champion Cricketer & Coach...

Venkat
on July 19, 2017, 13:39 GMT

Ravi Shastri knows that he has become the coach on the strength of Kohli's recommendation . If Kohli and Shastri are considered more knowledgeable than Tendulkar , Dravid , Ganguly and Laxman , God save Indian cricket . Members of the CAC and Dravid have given their heart and soul to Indian cricket. It will not be long before India starts losing overseas tests and their No:1 rating. Let us see how Shastri and Kohli react to such losses. I want the CAC members to resign and let BCCI handle their affairs on their own.

NARayanamurty
on July 19, 2017, 13:38 GMT

Sastry deserves all the criticism made. Now two egos united and we have to wait and see the aggression.

Torsha
on July 19, 2017, 13:36 GMT

The best coach and person - Ravi Shastri

laksvi5642713
on July 19, 2017, 13:35 GMT

whatever anyone says, you gotta admire him - he could have continued sitting in a comfy chair and commenting, but no - he chose to get into the furnace and sift the coals. requires guts for this.....i donot know about his coaching credentials -i do hope he rubs some dignity and pleasantness into VK and the rest of the beardos that wear the blue indian cap, i hope they cut out some of the ugly theatrics...and play much like their forebearers played-with more respect . restraint and humility

Nitin
on July 19, 2017, 13:31 GMT

Ravi Shastris will come and go, but there is only one Anil Kumble.

Naresh
on July 19, 2017, 13:31 GMT

I feel sad the way Kumble has been treated. It was though his series wins with team
India meant nought? Time BCCI , Kohli, Shastri recognize his role. I'm afraid Kumble
will not do any more work for Indian cricket. He may take up an ICC post and will
forget about India. He could have contributed to the spinners lot.

krishnakumar
on July 19, 2017, 13:22 GMT

first thing Understand players will change as per coach good example Umesh Yadav how he was faring under Dhoni and how he turned good bower under kumble.with shastri we will loose pujara and Umesh yadav.all Mumbai Indians in team will play.srilanka is lucky to have useless head coach and others who will be just passengers.kohli and shastri two indecent brash guys will destroy Cricket India.

Bobby
on July 19, 2017, 13:19 GMT

Well...the Shastri-Kohli duo, in their own words like "aggressive" which is understood, but wish they would have shown aggressive towards bringing in new and fresh players rather than sticking with Dhawan, Rohit, Vijay, Saha etc. Where their aggressiveness goes when comes to player selection. Build the team now in phases than building it in 4-5 from now when current bunch will comes "use by date". This is basic principle where succession should always be planned. Or by not getting young players, are Kohli is trying to secure places in yeam for some of his best buddies...

Steve
on July 19, 2017, 13:18 GMT

Coach, his supporting staff and the Indian team, all in unison. That spells trouble for SL!

Cricinfouser
on July 19, 2017, 13:13 GMT

India will play with their potential, apart from who their coach should be.. India lost so many test series during their last recent instances when visited in Australia, England, New Zealand & in South Africa.. Now they again going to visit those countries starting from Sri Lanka.. Now it is the time to show what they are.. including Ravi's coaching technique & Kohli's captainship..

masum
on July 19, 2017, 13:12 GMT

Here the Coach and the Captain has become bigger than the players and the team. The drama unfolded on the team coach appointment will definitely hurt the team. The fight between the coach and the captain for domination over the team will start soon.

psychedlic93
on July 19, 2017, 13:11 GMT

Indian cricket was always about the players. The only reason I dislike the appointment of shastri is the superior treatment he will give to his Mumbai players. Rahane will probably play every ODI and Rohit Sharma will play every test irrespective of form.

Raman Muthuswamy
on July 19, 2017, 13:10 GMT

All filibustering .. empty talk !! Shastri & Arun Made for Each Other !! Save Indian Cricket, My Lord !!

pbcfl02321737
on July 19, 2017, 13:09 GMT

Please, Shastri, do not give any more interviews or tone down your voice, it's hard to listen to.

Srikanth
on July 19, 2017, 13:03 GMT

Ravi Shastri says that coaches like him and Anil Kumble will "come and go". Well, he should also realize that even Rohit and Virat will go through the same. Just as Sachin and Sourav, Rahul and Laxman. Point is not who coached/played but what impact/effect has been left behind. Being Human is significant than a human being.

Arachnodouche
on July 19, 2017, 12:55 GMT

Shastri is changing the definition of coaching bedore our very eyes. According to this BCCI shill, a coach is a glorified Yes-man, and should have no input on strategy, technique, or discipline. A chaperone for grown men, in other words. God, I wish this team loses everything it plays.

Sachin
on July 19, 2017, 12:47 GMT

He (Mr. Shastri) is probably anticipating some bad defeats in coming tours.. So He wants to give all the credits to the team but not to Coach.. I hope you people understand what I am saying.

But I wonder how he will react if Team India wins all their coming Tours/Tournaments.. Will he still give credit to Players or takes some for himself...
Anyhow, Those are arrogant words I felt..

tush389343182
on July 19, 2017, 12:47 GMT

"I have matured immensely in the last two weeks during the coach-appointment process," Shastri said. "Mine will be a refresh button that will be pushed. I carry on from where I left. I don't come with any baggage." yeah, maturity in two weeks, like a tracer bullet. and how can you carry on from where you left after pressing the refresh button?

Ranjit
on July 19, 2017, 12:45 GMT

You exactly know what it takes to please captain . You did not make any difference when you were a player neither can you when you are a coach now.
This is called Master of Buttering

cricfan27055864
on July 19, 2017, 12:37 GMT

This will heart India :(

Smith
on July 19, 2017, 12:33 GMT

Aaand the talks have started!

Jaydso2573387
on July 19, 2017, 12:32 GMT

he sets himself zero expectation. Good coach.

Alex
on July 19, 2017, 12:27 GMT

All will unravel when they go outside. Even srilanka with worst bowlers can fight as we saw their win. They have 2-3 good players who can maul indian spinners. srilanka problem is finding better fast bowler and support spinner for herath , who ever the spinner should not leak run in order to apply pressure. Kohli will do his thing. I want to see 5 test series between india and sa in SA green pitches.

No featured comments at the moment.

Alex
on July 19, 2017, 12:27 GMT

All will unravel when they go outside. Even srilanka with worst bowlers can fight as we saw their win. They have 2-3 good players who can maul indian spinners. srilanka problem is finding better fast bowler and support spinner for herath , who ever the spinner should not leak run in order to apply pressure. Kohli will do his thing. I want to see 5 test series between india and sa in SA green pitches.

Jaydso2573387
on July 19, 2017, 12:32 GMT

he sets himself zero expectation. Good coach.

Smith
on July 19, 2017, 12:33 GMT

Aaand the talks have started!

cricfan27055864
on July 19, 2017, 12:37 GMT

This will heart India :(

Ranjit
on July 19, 2017, 12:45 GMT

You exactly know what it takes to please captain . You did not make any difference when you were a player neither can you when you are a coach now.
This is called Master of Buttering

tush389343182
on July 19, 2017, 12:47 GMT

"I have matured immensely in the last two weeks during the coach-appointment process," Shastri said. "Mine will be a refresh button that will be pushed. I carry on from where I left. I don't come with any baggage." yeah, maturity in two weeks, like a tracer bullet. and how can you carry on from where you left after pressing the refresh button?

Sachin
on July 19, 2017, 12:47 GMT

He (Mr. Shastri) is probably anticipating some bad defeats in coming tours.. So He wants to give all the credits to the team but not to Coach.. I hope you people understand what I am saying.

But I wonder how he will react if Team India wins all their coming Tours/Tournaments.. Will he still give credit to Players or takes some for himself...
Anyhow, Those are arrogant words I felt..

Arachnodouche
on July 19, 2017, 12:55 GMT

Shastri is changing the definition of coaching bedore our very eyes. According to this BCCI shill, a coach is a glorified Yes-man, and should have no input on strategy, technique, or discipline. A chaperone for grown men, in other words. God, I wish this team loses everything it plays.

Srikanth
on July 19, 2017, 13:03 GMT

Ravi Shastri says that coaches like him and Anil Kumble will "come and go". Well, he should also realize that even Rohit and Virat will go through the same. Just as Sachin and Sourav, Rahul and Laxman. Point is not who coached/played but what impact/effect has been left behind. Being Human is significant than a human being.

pbcfl02321737
on July 19, 2017, 13:09 GMT

Please, Shastri, do not give any more interviews or tone down your voice, it's hard to listen to.

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